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Morgantown - Part 2
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
The early morning sun saw us having breakfast at the Blue Moose Café on Walnut Street. It was here that I, a devout and serious tea drinker, was introduced to "Chai" a vanilla, spiced hot tea similar to a Cappuccino. How could I not have heard of this? It is warm, rich and a special treat I will look for again. Anyway, this popular eatery was filled with decoupage tables, a busy clientele and good home cooking. In the next few hours of driving and walking, we learned a lot about West Virginia and Morgantown in particular. Morgantown has had a real renaissance in the last ten years and continues to grow steadily.
Every other corner is bustling with new construction of one kind or another. From a new hotel, to a business center, to a university building to roadway improvements, Morgantown is growing. It is a university town blessed with the enormous and progressive University of West Virginia. The town naturally receives many university visitors as well as people traveling east, and day- trippers. Morgantown is known as the southern most northern city or the northern most southern city. I guess it is all in your prospective. To us New Yorkers, this was the South.
A highlight of the town is the 51 miles of Rail/Trails, which are unused railroad tracks converted for recreational use: roller-blading, biking, hiking, walking and even jogging are encouraged uses. Most of the rest of the state is rural or forested, and Morgantown is a hub of activity in comparison.
We toured the University and I was impressed by the scope and sheer size. Just to give you an idea, there is a monorail type trolley called a PRT (personal rapid transit) connecting the campus with five major stopping points on campus. The new sports center, barely one year old, houses not only aquatics and every conceivable indoor sport, but also has a rock-climbing wall. My thought as I saw this center, was that I would chose to be a student and never want to graduate from here.
We walked to the wharf district, which runs along the Monongahela River and the Rail/Trail, and even that area is under resurgence with a beautiful amphitheater for outdoor concerts. Out guide, Jack is so proud of his town and it shows in every little detail he points out. He was so excited to show us the smaller hot spots as well as the larger endeavors. We toured the Radisson Hotel, which is to open shortly, and were privy to a "backstage" look at how a multi-million dollar project comes together.
The Radisson, when opened, will be a real jewel to the community attracting not only tourists but also conferences and business meetings. It is "attached" to the Rail/Trail and many rooms have river views. With 206 guest rooms, the hotel also boasts a 900-person ballroom, a fitness center & Spa and even gaming machines. Now that I have seen it under construction,
I need to come back and see the polished off product. We ate lunch in town at the Boston Beanery before leaving Morgantown. The atmosphere was like a "Cheers" type place, specializing in salads, sandwiches and beer. The men ordered a steak and I had a turkey club. We ended lunch with a huge slice of Boston cream pie, with three forks.
I enjoyed my brief time in Morgantown. We experienced adventure on the river, shopping at the Seneca Center, delicious food at both casual and upscale restaurants,
history in Arthurdale and the chance to meet many friendly folks proud of their town and their West Virginia roots. I discovered that West Virginia is a lot more than the Appalachian Mountains and coal mining, but as always, a new experience around every corner.
Day 1 - Morgantown
Day 2 - Morgantown
Day 3 - Lewisburg
Day 3- Part 2 Greenbrier
Day 4 - Lewisburg
Day 5 - Pocahontas County
Day 6 - Part 2 - Pocahontas County
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